Kingdom Hearts: Home
by Black Wolfess
Summary: Sora was the only person he’d ever fully trusted, and the only person he’d ever thought had understood him. Riku smiled contentedly. ‘Maybe the only person that ever will.’


_ "We'll be the darkness…" -- Riku_

_Yaaaaaaay:heart: My first KH fic! I wrote this to better explain my standpoint on the whole 'SoraXRiku' thing, and to simultaneously write my first KH fic ever…_

_ Well…here goes with the explanation!_

_I support SoraXRiku for two main reasons. Reason 1: I think they are two halves of one whole heart. This is my theory for many reasons, mainly because of the obvious issue of light vs. dark. In KH 1, Sora begins the story as the lesser of the two boys; he's younger, for one thing, but also less confident and unsure of himself then Riku. Riku's just plain cocky and egotistical. But after a while, the characteristics of being humble and prideful prove to be the augment of Sora and the downfall of Riku. Sora fends off the darkness while Riku is possessed by it. In the end, Sora actually saves both him and Kairi, but Riku (I think out of a little guilt) stays behind (hence the quote which started all this shounen-ai madness XD). In Chain Of Memories, we see Sora evolve into the determined warrior he becomes in 2, and so forth. After he finally finds Riku, and when they're sitting on the beach, it's evident that Riku has become exactly the opposite of what he once was; he becomes uncertain, timid, and scared that he is not strong enough to overcome the darkness within his own heart. Sora replaces what he once was and, in essence, they switch places. I think that one makes up for what the other lacks. I honestly think that they complete each other, as cliché as it sounds._

_And of course, people are going to say, well what's with the papou fruit thing in the first KH? Simple; he thought he loved Kairi, but after enduring his little personal escapade to find them, and only getting Kairi back, he realized that he really didn't love her; He found out that what he felt for her was the love of a friend, and that he really loved Riku. (It's explained a bit better in the fic above -points-)_

_…And Reason #2: Come on people! He freakin' CRIED when he found Riku, okay? He's gay! GET OVER IT! It's not like they're not both totally GORGEOUS, anyway! And besides…I don't like Kairi XP I'll quote myself here from an argument with a kid at school over this very topic: "C'mon, man! Think about it…what did he do upon finding Kairi? She hugged him, and he blushed slightly and shrugged it off. What did he do when he found Riku, huh? FREAKING CRIED! He bawled like a little bitch and was all "I looked everywhere for you!!! -sobsobcrywail-". He's sooooo gay, it should be described in the cheat book!!!" Enough said. (A bunch of people actually listened in on the situation..it was kinda funny :3)_

_Yupps! Hopefully y'all understand where I stand on the issue, now. Enjoy. Comments would be lovely!_

_Oh and, just so you know: All homophobes will promptly have their comments shoved in that one place they're terrified of them going! Happy reading!_

The sunset was a blurred line between reality and fantasy with its creamsickle clouds and cotton candy backdrop. The ocean sparkled under it softly, the crests of the waves a lighter sparkle than the rest of the indigo horizon rolling towards the island. A pleasant breeze ruffled the brunette mass of spikes that adorned the head of a teen spectator on the beach. A smile spread across his pale pink lips as he enjoyed the atmosphere. The coolness of the ocean settled on his perfectly tan torso and defined calves, a pair of ripped and faded blue shorts clinging to his slim waist. He felt so relaxed out on the coastline. It was the only place on the island he could really be alone.

_ 'God I love it out here.' _Sora sighed blissfully, wriggling his toes into the cool sand and watching the white lace of past waves be overcome by new turquoise laps. A small blue shell tumbled in, brought by the wake, and landed against his foot. With a curious smirk, he delicately picked it up and placed it in his palm. It was and ordinary enough shell: smooth, fan-shaped, and somewhat iridescent. But it was the color that enamored him most; it was a perfect deep blue, strikingly vibrant and slightly silvery. He grinned at his partially blurry reflection in the small trinket before making various other faces. He laughed softly at his own silliness.

'_Maybe Riku is right...' _he thought with a half smile, '_I might still be the little kid that he grew up with.' _His smile grew larger as he thought about the elder boy, an all too familiar chain of memories flooding his mind. He flexed his right palm and grinned as he reminisced about the cold, smooth handle of the Kingdom Key in his hand. Sora swore that he could almost feel the silver of the tool as well as the tingle of power that went with it. He had worked so very hard to find his friends, and met so many more along the way. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy's cheerful faces appeared in his mind, as well as their many mishaps and adventures. He thought of Maleficent and Xemnas, as well as Axel and the entire Organization, and how he prevailed over all of them. He had been driven by something so strong, so undeniably complex, and so genuinely beautiful, and yet now, as he looked back, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it faith? Hope? A lust for adventure? Or was it something deeper, like loyalty or…_love_? He shook his head, tossing the shell from one hand to the other as he flipped the question in his mind. _'I mean, I started all of this to find Kairi, right?' _He took out a small pocket knife and bored a hole in the butt of the shell. _'But then, why did I feel ten times more relieved when I found Riku instead of her?' _He slipped off his necklace chain and threaded it through the hole in the shell, then placed it back on his neck. With a sigh, the teen leaned back on his palms and stared up at the thousands of glittering stars, coaxed out of the darkness by the setting sun.

He had never felt for anyone what he felt for Riku. Kairi meant so much to him, yes, but Riku meant something more; something that, like his exact reason for questing all those years, he couldn't quite define. Every time he saw him, Sora's smile was automatic. It was his constant mission to see him happy, and he always felt so good when Riku was happy. In fact, he hated it when he was anything but that. Kairi always teased that Sora constantly talked about the older boy, and it was sadly true. There was only a handful of favorite memories he had that didn't begin with 'Me and Riku…'. He always wanted Riku with him, no matter how trivial his task or where he was, and felt almost hollow when he wasn't there. He began to reminisce about the time after he found Riku, when they had been thrown onto that godforsaken beach with nothing but each other. And he remembered, also, how absolutely and truly happy he was just to have him back. He would've stayed on that beach forever with him, even if they were the only ones left in that uninviting place. Riku made anywhere seem like home with a warmth Sora couldn't really describe. He placed his hand on his left pec, feeling his heart flutter under his bare skin. He never wanted to loose Riku again. Without Riku, he felt…_heartless_…

"Sora?" The brunette practically leapt out of his very skin as Riku appeared beside him. He leaned his head back to look up at his best friend, a look of both shock and anger mottling his visage.

"Geeze Riku!" Sora chastised as Riku plopped down beside him in the soft sand, "I think you almost made me wet myself!" Riku chuckled softly, and the delicious warmth of the sound rolled over Sora like a wave of heat. He smiled unintentionally, eyes searching Riku's face with an indescribable fascination. As the older teen stopped laughing, he locked eyes with Sora and smiled. After a few more seconds of ogling, Sora caught himself, gave a small gasp, and stared back out at the sea. Color flushed his cheeks automatically, and the tips of his ears pricked with tingly heat. _'Damnit Sora! Why're you __staring__ at him?!' _He eternally rebuked himself. Why _was_ he staring?! Riku laughed softly and punched his friend's arm playfully.

"What's your deal? You're never this quiet and…and…" he searched for a word, and then smiled tauntingly as he found one, "…this concentrated. Usually, your ADD would've had us halfway across the island by now!"

Sora half smiled at him and Riku beamed back. His gorgeous, sea-foam eyes glittered in the faint silver shadow of the moon, and Sora's glistened back. '_He's got such beautiful eyes…_'Again, he reprimanded himself with a scoff and blushed, whipping his gaze in the direction of the liquid horizon. He _really_ needed to stop doing that...

"What's wrong Sora?" He stole a quick side glance at Riku, but said nothing. "You're blushing…" Strange. Ever since Riku had come home, he found himself doing that more often than not. He found himself jubilant and happy, always smiling. It was so unlike the past two years that he'd almost forgotten what it was like. Was this something deeper than friendship? He wasn't sure.

"Riku, what does love feel like?" Riku blinked at the brunette's sudden and out of place question. It certainly wasn't anything he'd expected. He looked out at the ocean, that familiar look of debate on his face. How was he to answer _that_? '_I mean, I've never been in love, have I?_' He wasn't so sure he knew. After all, he had been the darkness itself for a time; and when in that dark, he vaguely remembered trying to take one of his best friend's hearts. He'd tried to kill Sora. And although he'd been manipulated by Ansem when he did that, he couldn't help but feel it was his fault. '_But I let Ansem in my heart in the first place, didn't I?!_' He wasn't so sure he knew what love was anymore. How was he to explain to Sora, his best friend, what this emotion was if he himself couldn't comprehend it? But he _had _to be able to come up with an answer somehow…

A sudden epiphany struck the silver-haired youth. Why was it so dire to give him an explanation, anyway? Why did he feel he should answer Sora fully, if at all? After all, the younger boy did ask a rather large number of questions. '_But that's what makes it fun_.' He thought with a smirk. He loved answering all of the brunette's wacky, random queries. Why? '_Because of that dorky smile of his_.' Sora always bore a particular smile when he figured something out; a smile that melted Riku's heart into a warm puddle of an emotion so intense, he hadn't been able to describe it. It was very similar to the feeling that burned every fiber of his being when Sora laughed. It was such a pure, innocent sound; crisp and deliciously untainted with the obsidian sin Riku seemed to be _made_ of. Sora was always so forgiving, too. He vividly remembered when he and Sora were finally reunited before their fight with Xemnas. Instead of shunning, chastising, disowning, or even slightly rebuking Riku for leaving him and Kairi, betraying him, or, hell, even trying to _kill_ him, Sora was simply thankful they'd found each other. He remembered how his friend's arms locked around him in a profoundly tight hug, the tears running down his face; seeing Sora so unreservedly happy, so absolutely relieved to have him back had almost brought Riku to tears himself. Before that, Riku hadn't been sure that anyone cared for him at all. But Sora was always there with open arms and that indescribable smile, able to cleanse Riku of his implausible amount of sin, and willing more than anything to do so. The brunette had been able to see something in Riku even when he himself hadn't been; he had faith in him in a world where the world itself was almost nonexistent. Sora was the only person he'd ever fully trusted, and the only person he'd ever thought had understood him. Riku smiled contentedly. '_Maybe the only person that ever will._'

"Riku?" He looked over at the focus of his thoughts, which was now stretched out on the sand. He lay with his back against the earth, palms cradling his head and massive tangle of chocolate spikes. Riku's eyes lingered for a time. This was the first time in forever that he had actually noticed the changes to Sora's body. Where a once scrawny, gangly boy had lain, an entirely different person rested. His travels had bulked out his muscles to a desirable firmness, smooth and toned but not too prominent; this case was especially true for his biceps and forearms. He smirked. '_When did that happen?_' He looked like he could finally beat Riku at sparring matches now. He smiled mentally as he remembered their many matches as kids. '_Sora was always so mad when I won…_' Even his stomach was skirting a six-pack with well chiseled lines that defined his groin from his hips. His pointy, coffee colored locks had gotten longer and a bit shaggier, falling slightly in his eyes. But it still looked soft and feathery like it always did. He'd acquired a bit of a tan during their long, daily trips to the beach with Kairi, and it was whitewashed by the full alabaster moon. It gave him a slight and strangely beautiful sheen. '_Since when is Sora so grown-up_?' He wasn't used to the fact that he might now be a mature young teenager. After all, he was always picking on him for being younger and immature before their venture into the many worlds. Now, he wasn't so sure he could even consider him intellectually younger. He just looked so much more adult lying there. Sora glanced up at him and grinned, and Riku couldn't help but smile back. '_At least his smile is still the same…_' Sora propped himself up on his elbows and looked to him, smiling devilishly at his elder as he noticed his wandering eyes. "Riku, what are you doing?"

"What?" He slightly shook his head, as if waking from a trance, and locked gazes with the boy he'd been gaping at. An emotion flared somewhere in the brunette's oceanic eyes, a glisten caught between mockery and curiosity. The color instantly drained from Riku's face.

"What are you doing?" His mouth gaped open and shut wordlessly for a moment, similar to a fish without water. He looked helplessly at Sora, not sure of what to say. Sora quirked a brow. "Were you just _staring_ at me?"

"No! I was thinking!" He snapped quickly, once again looking away. His pallor hurriedly changed to a deep and painfully obvious scarlet. '_What am I __doing_' He hissed mentally. It was bad enough that he constantly thought of Sora, but now he was checking him out?! He groaned, slapping his palm to his forehead. What was going on with him?!

"Hey…" Riku lifted the bottom of his hand to look at Sora. He'd gotten on all fours and was now leaning toward him, gaze opposite of the taunting look he'd previously given Riku. His soft pink lips framed a gentle smile, and it was everything Riku could do to keep from staring again. "You okay?" He smoothed his silver hair back through his fingers coolly, mouth gently curving into a smile.

"How do you do it Sora?" The younger boy cocked his head to one side and looked confusedly at him.

"Do what?"

"Always find a way to make me smile." Sora's breath caught in his throat. Color similar to Riku's flooded his own face. Had he _really _just said that? Before he could respond, Riku cut him off. "I'm not sure what love is Sora. But whatever it is, I'm almost positive it's something along the lines of the happiest emotion you ever felt." Sora relaxed on his calves, reaching up and absent-mindedly fingering his shell as he gazed back at the ocean. Riku stared at his hands as he spoke, twiddling his fingers coyly as he continued. "It's always knowing that person will be there for you, through anything and at anytime. It's wanting to see them happy, no matter the cost, or how inconvenient it is for you. They can always seem to cheer you up. You always want them at your side, and care for them so much it hurts. Sometimes, they're all you think about. When they're near you, you feel safe and protected, like nothing could ever touch you because they can save you from anything. You can never explain how much they mean to you; there are not words strong enough to. They are the ones who cause that warm, tingly feeling when they look at you. They can make your heart thunder in your ears with something as simple as a smile or a laugh. They know you as well as they'd know themselves, and, sometimes, are the only ones who know you at all." He leaned back on his palms like Sora had earlier and sighed heavily. "They're the first thing you think about when the sun rises, and the last thing as it sets. They are the happiness of your life. And, without them, you just feel…"

"Like I did when I lost _you_?" Sora interrupted him in a voice so small it didn't seem like his own. Riku looked at him, finding he was again on all fours. Only, this time, it seemed like he was closer, an unreadable look spread across his face. He swallowed hard, eyes darting everywhere on Sora's face to try and distinguish any clue as to what to say. His mind was whirling a thousand miles an hour, and yet blank at the very same time. Sora remained silent also, his millions of thoughts muffled by the racing pound of his heart. Neither knew what to say. '_There __is__ nothing to say…_' Sora thought. So, he didn't _say_ anything…

Instead, he crawled over to Riku, leaned over his lap, and ever so gently pressed his lips to his. Riku blinked in genuine surprise, muscles locking with a sharp jump. But then, he slowly allowed his eyes to close like Sora's had already done. An invisible, liquid warmth quite unlike any he had ever felt consumed him, every fiber of his being tingling with an angelic numb. His once racing mind slowed to anything _but_ what it had been, and the erratic beating of his heart slowed gradually to a gentle thump; it fluttered almost as gently as Sora's mouth was pressed to his own. Time seemed to freeze until the only things he was aware of was the younger boy, himself, and the passing of precious seconds like the imprints left by the incoming waves. Was this what he'd been searching for?

Just as it seemed like euphoria would drown him, Sora pulled away from Riku and sat silently back down beside him. When the elder teen remembered how to breathe again, he took a deep and shaky breath. Though the kiss had only lasted seconds, it had seemed like an eternity. He felt as if he would turn the sand into glass as hot as his cheeks burned. A silence fell over them for a time. Both caught the other's wandering eyes as they tried to be inconspicuous when glancing at each other, and Riku couldn't help but slowly smile. Just as he was about to break the silence, Sora turned to him.

"Riku, I'm so sorry!" The younger boy was in panic, blue eyes frantic and wide. "It just happened, I swear! I mean, I didn't mean for it to happen…err…well, I _did_ mean for it to happen, but I…Oh man!" He pulled away from Riku and bunched his knees to his chest, smacking his forehead on his kneecaps once with a hard thump. Riku blinked confusedly. Had Sora not felt that incredible feeling he had? It felt like a wave of heat had wrapped itself around his heart; and after his heart being so cold for so very long, it felt _wondrous_.

"Sorry for what? Kissing me?" Riku laughed softly as Sora looked up at him with an innocent expression. "Puh-lease! I knew it was only a matter of time before you admitted that you wanted me! Everyone else does!" He beamed at him with that smug grin that Sora loved so much. And, much like he'd been chastising himself for naught but a few moments ago, Sora let the happiness that the other boy brought him to show in full. He laughed softly himself, sitting upright again. But he slowly let the noise fade as he noticed the dreamlike expression flashing somewhere deep in Riku's eyes. Both boys bore the same expression of puzzlement and happiness as they sat for a few more seconds of silence, unsure of what was next. They had no idea what was going on, only that they wanted it to continue. Riku reached up and brushed a renegade chocolate spike out from in front of Sora's eyes, sliding his other palm against the boy's cheek. Sora did the same with both of his hands, and for a moment, they simply sat there staring at each other. Riku's eyes were alight with something that Sora hadn't seen in him since he had told him that they could build that raft; genuine happiness fogged his penetrating seafoam gaze. Sora's shimmered with this exact emotion as well, something similar to what he'd displayed upon finally reuniting with his best friends. '_This feels so right…_' Sora thought as he leaned slowly towards Riku again, this time, the boy opposite him bringing his mouth to meet Sora's halfway. As their lips locked once again in that brief splice of heaven, Riku slowly slipped his tongue into Sora's mouth. It was a slow dance of tongues and teeth, delicate and drawn out as if they were treasuring every moment. But the truth is that they were, and both knew it. After a short time Sora slid his hands down Riku's muscled neck and to his pecs, laying his palms flat against his chest and easing him down into the sand. Riku spread his legs to allow Sora to rest between them, and soon became wondrously aware of the youth's body pressing against his own. The warmth caused by the earlier kiss returned tenfold, and euphoria completely overtook both of them. Riku's hands began to wander down Sora's torso, fingertips feathering every inch of exposed skin the boy had to offer. He wanted to explore every inch of him that was available. The younger boy smiled as he felt the almost nonexistent touch of his fingers, but also the trails of intense heat that they left tingling behind them. He felt as if he would melt. Another emotion splashed the fringes of his conscience, intertwining with the knee-buckling pleasure he felt; this emotion was pure _relief_.

His mind raced back to the relief he'd felt when Riku had been brought back to him, unharmed but equipped with a black heart. And of this, Sora was very unsure as to if he could cure him, as he assumed Riku also believed. But as they lay there, kissing in the sand under a full, bright moon, Sora's hopes suddenly revamped themselves. Maybe they had been separated for a reason, something much deeper than destiny. Maybe, just maybe, they were the very opposite of each other; Riku made up for what Sora lacked, and vice versa. Riku was more masculine, determined, confident, and skilled at swordsmanship than Sora could've ever dreamed to be before his journey into the worlds. And now, as he thought of it, it was like they had switched places. Sora had become so very strong during his journey. He was a born hero according to Hercules, a leader according to Mickey. He was great with a blade, whether key or common sword. His determination and dogged persistence had saved both him _and_ Riku. It was a rough, long, and perilous journey that had molded him into a man. But as he fought his way through thousands of waves of Heartless and enemies of every sort, he had realized something; a hollow feeling had accompanied his heart all the while. It felt as if he had been missing a part of him. And now, as Riku threaded his fingers through Sora's hair and pulled his head down to rest against his chest, he realized what that piece had been. It had been _Riku_.

Riku had an epiphany along the same lines as Sora's scalding cheek came into contact with the tender skin between his pecs. Sora was his escape. When in the clutches of darkness, Sora had been his hope. He had been the one thing that Riku fought for, kept on moving in order to see; he was his reason for going on. He could've given up and surrendered to the darkness completely, and was coaxed to do so more times than he was fond of remembering. But there was always the same sentence running through his mind: _'What would Sora do?' _After all, his entire reason for even staying behind in Kingdom Hearts was so that Sora and Kairi could live in peace again. He had cared that much. Riku was nothing but a brooding, swirling pool of uncertainty, evil, and shameful memories, as far as he himself was concerned. But Sora seemed to think otherwise. He admired him for some odd reason. And it was ironic how Riku felt exactly the same. Sora was everything he wanted to be. He was so happy, strong, and optimistic all the time. Riku was always uncertain and afraid that his dark heart would once again control him. But Sora could care less what _had_ been; he was only concerned for the present. And Riku wanted to spend every single moment of that present with him. Sora wasn't just missing from his heart while he'd been away, he had _been_ his heart.

"Riku?" He blinked once at the soft sound of the youth's voice. He began to play with his spiky hair, fingering the spikes gently and enjoying the sweet smell of sweat emanating from them.

"Yeah Sora?"

"When you were gone, did you ever think of me?" Riku smiled and placed a finger under Sora's chin, tilting his head up so that he could look at those amazingly blue eyes.

"Every single second." Sora smiled gently, and his cheeks pinked slightly. "Did you think of me, too?"

"More than you thought of _me_." Riku smiled and sighed softly as Sora looked back out at the ocean and snuggled back onto him. Riku placed a hand behind his head and followed his gaze. "As a matter of fact, I thought about you more than anything I ever had. At first, I didn't know what it was or why it was, but now I think I do."

"Oh yeah?" The elder smiled playfully. "And why is that?"

"I love you, Riku." Sora looked up at him and beamed. His eyes shimmered with that same intense emotion that Riku had felt a few minutes before, and Riku smiled as well. He slid his hands onto Sora's cheeks and pulled him upwards into another loving, slow kiss. He smiled after their lips finally parted.

"I love you too, Sora." The brunette sat up slightly and pulled off the necklace he had been wearing. He slipped it on over Riku's head, and the silver-haired elder smiled at the shell. It matched those inescapable pools of compassion that Sora called eyes.

"It's beautiful, Sora." He said softly, kissing him on the forehead with a smile. Sora smiled and lay back down, kissing Riku's chin as he did so. The elder reached up and threaded his fingers through Sora's. A pure and unwavering amount of happiness oozed from the place where his heart was supposed to be. But maybe now, he had a new one. Sora's felt as if his was on fire. He was so undeniably ecstatic. He sighed happily as they watched the stars glitter on the surface of the sea. He was finally where he belonged; he was home in Riku's arms. "Promise me something, Sora."

"Anything."

"That we'll never leave each other again." Sora smiled and sighed happily, squeezing his hand softly against Riku's.

"I promise you that as long as you wear that necklace, we will never be apart." Riku chuckled softly, and Sora glanced up at him quizzically.

"That's good," he said with a smile, "because I'm _never_ taking it off." Both boys laughed uproariously, the beautiful sound rising heavenwards in the cool night air. They were finally home, where they belonged….together.


End file.
